by J. Clarice
Trevor cocked his head as he thought back to the incident. “I didn’t see any, and that kind of massacre would surely leave some.”
“This place is full of mysteries, and we haven’t even dipped our toes into all of it yet.” She shook her head in disbelief.
This mission was proving to complicate itself by the second.
Footsteps echoed toward their holding cell, and they stood to attention. Two masked ones opened the gate and pulled them out.
“Let’s go. Your presence has been requested,” muffled out one of the guards.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming. Don’t get your shit in a twist,” Jayden snickered as she exited the cell.
The guard shoved her forward, and Trevor rushed him. “Watch it!”
The other guard shot a blast of their power toward Trevor before erecting a wall between the two. “Cut the show. The sooner we get this shit done, the sooner we get out of each other’s way. They’re Nate’s orders.”
The other guard straightened their dusted armor and fell back in line.
“I’m tired of this shit. Why do we listen to him anyway?” he murmured.
“Shut up, G. He pays us good, and the extras we get are even better. All we gotta do is get them to their seats, and our job is done.”
Trevor and Jayden walked ahead of the two guards but could hear their words. They shared a look and knew the situation in that place before they’d even spent much time in it.
They have to get what they came for and get out as quickly as possible.
They’d be in deep shit if they didn’t.
The floor vibrated beneath Scarlett’s feet as the two guards hauled her through the hall.
“It must be tiring having to do all this for an ass like him,” she taunted. The man ignored Scarlett, but the tilt of the woman’s mask didn’t pass. “He must really have you guys for something.”
“We don’t do this for him; we could give two shits about that jackass. We do it for the benefits,” the woman cracked. If it hadn’t been for her mask, Scarlett was sure she’d be showered in spit.
The man slowed them to a stop and snapped his face in the woman’s direction. “Shut the fuck up,” the man hissed. “She’s getting in your head, and you’re letting her. Everyone here knows he’s only for show. You don’t need to go around spouting it.”
The woman scoffed, and they resumed their pace toward an arched doorway. Enormous amounts of light shone through and brightened the sly smile on Scarlett’s lips. They gave her all the information she needed to know.
They enter the light, and Scarlett was met with an arena but much smaller than the one she encountered at the Nightmare’s cells. This one was solely for fights. Instead of cages, seats circled the bowl in the center, and people in grey armors occupied each. The sight of their destroyed protection saddened Scarlett, but it was the way they became accustomed to living. Few wore tattered bodysuits, those could be counted on both hands.
What caught Scarlett’s attention were those with their bright and untouched armor – her people.
Trevor and Jayden stood side by side on the other end of the arena with their hands tied behind their backs. They were well and caught sight of Scarlett being escorted by the two guards. They nodded at each other, and she moved her eyes until she found Jasper and Jude in pair. They were in the same predicament, but Jasper had a gash on his cheek and Jude on her forehead. They gave a nod, and Scarlett turned back to focus on where she was being taken.
Her people were safe – for now.
How long that would last was what kept her on edge.
The guards moved Scarlett through the back of the seats and neared a booth that gave a great view to the arena's bottom entrance. In the black and grey marbled booth, was Nate seated at the front with an empty spot beside him.
“Scarlett! So lovely of you to join me! Please, have a seat.” Nate winked as he gestured to the open seat. It was carved of rock and looked like the most uncomfortable thing she ever laid eyes on. The guards released her arms, and Scarlett slowly lowered herself onto the edge of the chair.
‘Definitely uncomfortable.’
She suppressed a shudder from its coldness and instead turned her attention to Nate. “I want my p-, my friends freed.”
“Oh please, they are at the moment not in any harm’s way and within your sight,” he dismissed her words. “The show is about to start, so close that pretty but loud, mouth of yours and watch.”
Scarlett clenched her hands into fists and slightly rose before a roar shook her core. She faced the arena, and shock reverberated through her when she found it was the people. They were stomping and chanting in unison.
“The Red Death! The Red Death! The Red Death!”
Nate stood and moved to the edge of the booth. He sent out flares of light brown, and the crowd settled at the display.
“My people!” he shouted as he spread his arms wide. “We’re brought here once again, not for a holiday or entertainment, but because one of our own has crossed us.”
The crowd booed in agreement.
“This man was caught stealing, stealing not just from me, but from us all. Tell me, what do we do with these thieving bastards?”
“Send them to The Red Death!” The crowd’s roar pierced Scarlett’s ears and filled her stomach with disgust.
“Bring him out!” Nate gestured toward the gate below, and it rose as a stocky man was shoved out.
Nate walked back to his seat as a question rang through Scarlett’s head.
‘What could he have possibly stolen from these people?
The man below stood with his head high. “I don’t regret what I did, and you all can go fuck yourself.”
Nate blew out air in a fake wince. He didn’t even bother to respond.
The crowd threw curses, rocks, and anything they could get their hands on at the man. Scarlett was astonished at their savagery and couldn’t imagine any place possibly being this bad. But here, before her, was one.
The man stood with his head high, but fear was visible from the tautness of his muscles. The gate rolled open, and nothing could’ve prepared Scarlett for who walked through.
Grey eyes locked onto their opponent as strands of jet-black hair sparingly covered them. Her breath caught in her chest as the lean figure walked deeper into the fighting bowl.
Scarlett’s body blared with alarms and jarred her concentration. Her breath caught while hot blood raced through her veins. She wanted to jump up, but her muscles were tensed and kept her still. Realizing that he was near, Scarlett tuned into their distant bond and realized she could feel him.
Red flowed along the edge of the arena, and she recognized the power.
Raxon.
He ignited his hands and ran towards the man. He jumped and spun into the air as he shot a line of arrows toward the accused. The man shielded himself with a white wall, but the force of Raxon’s power threw him back.
He didn’t stand a chance.
A hand landed itself on top of Scarlett’s thigh, and she jerked as Nate’s laughter filled the air. “Relax and enjoy. You seem a little tense.”
Scarlett scrunched her face as his hand gradually moved higher. Her dislike for Nate poured from her body. “You’re a fucking pig.”
She spat at his face and watched with delight as the saliva dripped down his nose and cheeks.
Despite the fight happening below, the crack of Nate’s hand connecting with Scarlett’s cheek could be heard by those near. With no way to catch herself, Scarlett’s face slammed into the jagged rocks. They scraped against the soft skin of her cheek as she managed to turn her head. Upon landing on the floor, Nate was already near and gripped her bleeding jaw.
“I’ve been playing nice with you. I kept you and your people safe from the horrors above, and this is how you repay me?” Nate sneered and clenched his jaw as his eyes shone with flaring anger. A commotion sounded from the arena as screams erupted. Nate turned his snarl toward the stadium.
&nbs
p; With his attention diverted, Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut and gathered all the power she could to break apart the binds on her wrists. They began to heat and radiate a bright light.
Seeing something from the corner of his eye, Nate faced the brightness growing behind Scarlett. “What the-”
A wave of force left Scarlett’s body and threw anyone near her away. She opened her eyes in time to see Nate fly over the edge of the booth into the arena below. She lifted herself from the ground and wiped her cheek to bring back a hand covered in red.
‘Fucking great.’
No one was around as the guards were unconscious from being thrown into the walls. She moved to the edge of the booth and found the arena in chaos. People entered the bowl and fought the accused man. On the seats were her people, who fended off the wave of guards and bystanders that joined the fight.
‘Just what they needed.’
From the entrance of the booth, masked guards poured in and blocked the safest exit. Before they had a chance to react, Scarlett threw herself over the booth’s edge and managed to grab onto it, narrowly avoiding the plummet into the bowl.
Scarlett moved herself to the side and jumped the rest of the way into a seat. Not being able to fly took some adjusting, and she dearly missed it when the people started swarming. Instead, she sent out waves of power that pushed them back and whips that flung them to the sides. Into the seats or the arena, they went, and neither was a pleasant impact.
She peered ahead and found Trevor and Jayden holding each other’s six and maintaining a steady circle. On the other side of the arena, Jude and Jasper did the same but not as tightly.
Returning her gaze to Trevor and Jayden, Scarlett’s heart plunged when she found them nowhere to be found. The area they’d been in was swarming with Nate’s people.
Scarlett roared as she powered through the crowd blocking her way. People flew left and right as she no longer cared about being gentle. Even as the crunching of bones filled her ears, she couldn’t afford to lose anyone else. Scarlett stole a glance for Jude and Jasper and double took as they, too, were gone.
‘Where’d they go?’
Slowing her pursuit, Scarlett scanned the arena with bewilderment. Her people were gone. The wide circle of space she’d made for herself closed in as the people took advantage.
The first guard was about to reach her when something wrapped around her torso and yanked her back. A sheet flew over her head and covered her body. She wrestled in panic when she noticed a baffled expression on the guard and the people around. They hesitated, blindly searching as if they weren’t able to see her.
Scarlett froze and realized an arm was locked around her waist. A person, a man by the feel of it, was leading her out of the arena.
“Who are–?”
Her words caught in her throat as a familiar sensation slowly but surely came to life. An unwelcome chill forced its way down her spine as her fingers quivered over the arm wrapped around her. Through the armor, the arm radiated a warmth that spread through Scarlett’s skin. She squeezed her eyes shut before whispering the words, “It’s you.”
She turned her head to find striking grey eyes.
‘Cain.’
A smooth rocky ceiling met Scarlett.
Distant voices filled her ears, and she slowly sat up. She laid on sheets that surprisingly blocked the hard floor’s coldness. The room was round, and the black and grey spotted walls appeared incredibly smooth. Hardly anything else was there except for a bag and a neatly folded grey sheet beside.
“Back the fuck away from me!”
Jayden’s snarl reached Scarlett, and in a flash, she rose to her feet. There was no door, only a tunnel that led to a much larger smooth cave. She immediately spotted Jayden, who faced a man – Raxon or Cain – with ignited palms, and her arrows were discarded on the opposite end of the cave. Trevor, Jude, and Jasper were unconscious and laid on the ground around Jayden’s feet.
“One, you need to calm the fuck down. Two, I thought you said this would last longer than one hour, brother,” Raxon voiced.
His words sent prickles across Scarlett’s skin, but nothing compared to the reaction her body got from the voice that followed.
“Varies per person. She was able to resist it faster than the others.”
His voice washed over Scarlett like cold water and seized every muscle. He walked in from another tunnel, and his eyes shot to Scarlett like metal to a magnet.
His stride slowed until he came to a full stop and took her in. She couldn’t help but do the same. His short hair remained the same while his face developed a slight stubble. His skin, pale as ever and clear of any imperfections. Reluctantly, Scarlett lifted her gaze to his eyes. Steel grey pierced her soul, and it took everything in her to hold her head high. Keeping herself impassive, Scarlett moved her attention to her friend in need.
That simple movement felt like turning century-old, rusted gears.
Having heard his brother’s entrance, Raxon turned around and found the newcomer. The carbon copy of Cain with a new addition; a long thick scar. It started from his temple's edge, curved around his cheek, and ended under his jawline. Scarlett could care less about how he got it; it was finally something to separate the two. “Another one up early? The other ones must not be too far behind then. Fancy seeing you here, Scarlett.”
His drag of her name grated her nerves. Without hesitation, Scarlett lifted her hand and sent a whip of tendril that threw Raxon into the wall. Not wanting to miss out, Jayden sent a wave that slapped him face-first into the next wall.
“Fuck!” His roar filled the walls as red tendrils left his palms. Before they could reach Scarlett, a grey wall was erected before her, dissipating Raxon’s fire.
“All of you, cut it out,” Cain grit as he glared at his brother, then Jayden, before coming to a stop on Scarlett. She returned the stare with a rage of her own.
“After everything, he’s done, you’re protecting him?” Scarlett shot as Jayden moved by her side.
“Oh, please. You’re still stuck on what happened?” Raxon scoffed.
“You killed him!” Jayden yelled as she barely contained her crazed emotions. Her body shook as she faced Liam’s cold-blooded killer. “I swear, I’m going to enjoy ending your life. I promise you.”
Despite the front Raxon tried to keep, Scarlett saw the spark of hesitation that flashed through his face. She lifted a hand to Jayden’s shoulder and sent a wave of warmth to calm her. A groan called their attention, and they faced the shifting unconscious.
Scarlett realized that their hatred and anger toward Raxon weren’t going to do them any good. Due to their predicament, they needed assistance from one of the twins.
“Arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere,” Scarlett forcefully started. “We each have a side to discuss, and once the rest of us are awake, we’ll continue with them.”
She ignored Raxon and kept her eyes on Cain. “While my people awaken, I suggest you take your brother into another room. Seeing his face first thing isn’t exactly welcoming.”
With not a single emotion from Cain, Scarlett held her ground until one of them broke. Cain’s hand twitched the tiniest bit before the rest of his body gradually followed. His eyes lingered on Scarlett for a second longer before they moved to Raxon.
“Let’s go.”
The two exited the room, and Scarlett released a heavy breath. Her chest rapidly rose as she choked on the emotions that trampled through her. She shakily turned her head to a trembling Jayden.
They knew how they got there.
They knew of the possibilities of finding both of them.
They simply hadn’t expected their thick walls to be broken down so easily.
Her brown eyes scorched an enormous hole into his soul.
He hadn’t been prepared to see her, but he could feel her the minute she entered the arena. Her body was covered by new blackened armor, somehow darker than his own, which was already pitch black. Her l
uscious curls were chopped to just below her ears, and her face showcased the trauma: new and the old.
Feeling the disgust that radiated through her body when Nate put his hand on her sent a flurry of anger scorching his veins. He’d dropped his act, and as he was about to react, the others broke free of their restraints and fought back.
Trevor.
Jayden.
Her brother.
And a woman he had yet to meet.
They stood out like sore thumbs and didn’t look like the usuals Nate let roam free. That explained the accessory of the binds.
He brought them each out of the city and to the place they were staying at.
He knew she’d awaken soon, but the look he got from her…
She changed.
No.
She grew.
The encounter replayed over and over in his mind as he leaned against the cave's smooth wall.
“She moved you.”
Raxon’s remark pulled Cain from his thoughts.
“Don’t look too deeply into things, brother. Before you know it, you’ll have gone too far,” Cain responded as he lowered his eyes from the ceiling. “You, out of everyone, should know that.”
He brushed off Raxon’s words when they hit the spot on. She moved him, and he caved. Scarlett was now a force to be reckoned with, and those orders would be the first of many. With his withheld information, Scarlett was forced into situations no one her age should’ve been in. Yet, she fit the mold of a leader impeccably.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Look at where following father’s teachings have gotten you,” Cain tutted. “Fighting all for the entertainment of a lowlife banished Dreammare.”
Raxon rolled his eyes. “Dear brother, you should know that’s merely to pass the time. I know of things you have yet to find out.”
He left Cain alone with his thoughts to sit at the cave’s entrance. They had a view of nothing but the depressing sandy grey. The mountain tops were visible in the distance, but none have dared to cross the plain. Those that tried never made it far.
Raxon’s words echoed through Cain. He hated knowing his brother knew something he didn’t. The fact that his father was a goddam genius with a turn-on for making ironclad plans. He knew he’d find them out soon enough.
